Govt aiming to upgrade education system: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India has set ambitious goals to be achieved within a limited time frame, prompting speculation that he was hinting at retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. However, he later clarified that his remarks were not linked to the current situation.

Addressing the YUGM Innovation Conclave — a collaborative initiative focused on future technologies for a developed India — Modi stated, “We have set a time frame of the next 25 years for the goal of a developed India. We have limited time, and the goals are big. I am not saying this in the context of the present situation.”

Underscoring the importance of youth in shaping a nation’s future, Modi highlighted the pivotal role of education in preparing them for emerging challenges. He emphasised efforts to modernise India’s education system to meet 21st-century needs.

“The education system plays a key role in preparing youth for the country’s future. We are modernising this system. The National Education Policy (NEP) is aligned with global education standards. AI-based infrastructure has been developed under the ‘one nation, one education’ system, which we plan to expand,” he said.

Modi noted that the National Credit Framework has enabled students to study diverse subjects simultaneously, broadening educational opportunities and career paths.

He also stressed the need to strengthen India’s research ecosystem to achieve national goals, citing the doubling of gross R&D expenditure from Rs 60,000 crore in 2013-14 to over Rs 1.25 lakh crore. He highlighted the establishment of state-of-the-art research parks and R&D cells in nearly 6,000 higher education institutions.

“The youth today are not only excelling in research and development, but are also becoming disruptive innovators,” Modi said, citing the commissioning of the world’s longest hyperloop test track — a 422-m track developed at IIT-Madras in collaboration with Indian Railways — as an example.

He noted that Indian university campuses are emerging as hubs of innovation, with over 90 institutions featuring in the Higher Education Impact Rankings out of 2,000 globally. He added that India’s representation in the QS World Rankings has grown from nine institutions in 2014 to 46 in 2025, with an increasing number among the world’s top 500.

Modi also spoke of Indian institutions expanding globally, citing IIT Delhi’s campus in Abu Dhabi, IIT Madras in Tanzania and the upcoming IIM Ahmedabad campus in Dubai. At the same time, he welcomed global universities setting up campuses in India, fostering academic exchange, research partnerships and cross-cultural learning.

Stressing the urgency of India’s 25-year roadmap to development, Modi said, “It is crucial that the journey from idea to prototype to product is completed in the shortest time possible.” He added that reducing the gap between the lab and the market ensures quicker public access to innovations, motivates researchers and accelerates the cycle of research, innovation and value addition.